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7/30/10
3-Part park plan funds sought

A crowd of skateboarders and their supporters -- from kids to grandmothers -- watched Tuesday as Bellevue Council voted unanimously to apply for a grant to fund the first phase of a Bayne Park plan that will include the area’s first skate plaza.

Officials hope to create a “multi-generational use” park that will include an upgraded playground, additional parking and bocce courts in addition to the skate plaza.

7/30/10
Bellevue cop fired

Bellevue Council voted unanimously Tuesday to fire a police officer.

Brian Bradford has been a Bellevue Police officer for just over four years. Officials said they could not discuss the reasons for his dismissal, although the motion approved by council said that Bradford had intentionally committed several "infractions."

Solicitor Tom McDermott said that Bradford has the right to appeal the decision by council in a closed hearing, and officials could not comment on his firing until he decided whether to exercise his right to a private hearing.

7/30/10
Boosters want refund for nameplates

The Avonworth Football Boosters are asking the district's school board to reconsider its ban on away game jerseys that bear each player's name, or cough up the $2,600 the boosters spent to buy the nameplates.

7/30/10
Paving bid awarded

Bellevue Council voted unanimously Tuesday to award a bid for the paving of Davis Avenue and the crosswalks on Lincoln Avenue.

A. Folino Construction was awarded the contract with a bid of $81,376.69.

7/30/10
Teens nabbed for vehicle break-ins

An array of electronic devices has been recovered by Ohio Township Police as they arrested the three teenagers responsible for a series of vehicle break-ins in the Avonworth School District.

Three 17-year-olds -- two from the district and one from the North Hills -- were caught after an Emsworth resident saw two youths peering into a parked vehicle and alerted police. Chief Beaver Micklos said that the boys ran when police arrived, but officers were able to identify them, and they later confessed.

7/30/10
Tie vote

With Bellevue Council member Mark Panichella absent, Mayor George Doscher had to break a tie vote to authorize the borough to pay its bills.

Four members of council -- Linda Woshner, Jane Braunlich, and Jim and Susan Viscusi -- have been voting against payment of the bills since January because the bill list includes payment to solicitor Tom McDermott.

A lame duck council appointed McDermott last December, something prior solicitor Michael Georgalas warned was illegal and could result in individual council members being assessed for any borough funds spent to pay the new solicitor.

7/23/10
Avalon Police News

Avalon Police are investigating the burglary of a Taylor Avenue apartment reported July 19.

A flat screen television was reported stolen, police say.

The windshield and a side window were smashed in a vehicle parked on McKinley Avenue on Jul;y 21.

The driver of a tractor-trailer truck that hit a utility pole at California and North Home avenues was stopped on Route 65 after he left the scene of the accident on July 16. Traffic controls on the pole were damaged.

7/23/10
Bellevue bank robbed

The FBI is investigating the armed robbery of a Bellevue bank that occurred just before 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 15.

The white male, armed with a semiautomatic gun, was dressed in dark blue clothes and wore a black mask over his face. He carried a book bag.

Bellevue Police questioned a man fitting the description, but determined he was not involved in the robbery.

7/23/10
Burning in Ben Avon

The question of open burning was addressed at Tuesday's Ben Avon Council meeting when Council member Judy Konitsney said that she had been receiving complaints about it.

When pressed for details, Konitsney said she didn't have any, but said someone told her they had seen embers going up. She added that she knows "the county doesn't allow it." However, council member Dan Herchenroether said, "We have to know what it is about (before we can do anything)."

7/23/10
Do-over hearing

Avalon Council will hold another hearing on an application to move a liquor license into the borough after the first hearing proved to be a no-show not only for residents, but for council as well.

The failure to have a quorum (five members) of council present during the first hearing necessitated a second, according to council president Ed Repp.

The owner of the Mia Madre restaurant on California Avenue has asked for permission to transfer a liquor license from McKees Rocks to Avalon so that he can open what he described as a more upscale sports bar in a nearby building.

7/23/10
Lunch prices

School lunches will cost more in Northgate School District cafeterias next year.

The school board voted Monday to increase lunch prices for elementary students from $1.50 to $1.60. For middle and high school students, they will increase from $1.75 to $2, and for adults from $2.50 to $2.85.

7/23/10
Makatura named to school board

By ROBERTA SLANINA O’BRIEN

Dr. Timothy Makatura of Bellevue was selected by the Northgate School Board at its July 19 meeting to replace board vice president Chuck Miklos, who recently passed away.

Three candidates were interviewed for the position. All three candidates were asked the same seven questions and then were able to provide additional information if they wished.

7/23/10
No pool exchange

Avalon will not see the benefit of allowing Bellevue pool pass holders to use Avalon's pool at the beginning of the season.

When Bellevue was unable to get its pool open by Memorial Day, pass holders from the neighboring borough were allowed to use Avalon's pool at no additional cost. The agreement at the time was that Bellevue would return the favor at the end of the season, after the Labor Day holiday.

7/23/10
No steps

The owner of property that fronts on a walkway leading to the closed Birmingham Avenue steps in Avalon complained to the borough council Tuesday that the deterioration of the sidewalk has led to a safety hazard for her tenants.

Denise Dyer told council that her property is landlocked, with the walkway being the only access for an ambulance crew, firefighters, or others who may need to reach the house. There was no snow removal last winter, she said, and the walkway continues to deteriorate.

7/23/10
Ohio Twp. Police News

The Ohio Township Police department is investigating a series of thefts in which G.P.S. and other electronic devices have been stolen from vehicles during the night. Police remind residents to lock their vehicles.

On July 15, Robert Becker, 55, of Ben Avon, was arrested and is being charged with disorderly conduct and terroristic threats after making vulgar and threatening comments to neighbors.

Ryan Adams, 33, of Emsworth, was arrested for violating a protection from abuse order on July 18.

7/23/10
Perrysville project

Ben Avon Council awarded the contract for construction work on Perrysville Avenue to McElroy Paving Company.

Borough engineer Ed McGee said that of the three bids received, McElroy came in low at $241,067. McGee had estimated the work would cost between $235,000 and $250,000.

McGee said McElroy had "performed satisfactorily for us" on a project in 2006, and recommended that Council accept the bid. Council voted unanimously to do so. Rob Galbraith was absent.

7/23/10
Property Concerns Hotline

The Avalon Borough Quality of Life Committee has opened a “Property Concerns Hotline” for citizens of the borough.

Citizens can call (412)447-1356 to report concerns about properties in violation of maintenance ordinances such as overgrown grass/weeds and garbage, or to voice concerns about properties or borough conditions that are a health or safety risk, such as vacant properties, sidewalks in disrepair, or potholes.

The hotline is a message-only phone line. All messages will be forwarded to the appropriate borough official for further investigation and action.

7/23/10
Property owners could be fined for police calls

An ordinance under consideration by Avalon Council could give police the power to fine the owner of any property where officers are called more than twice in a 30-day period.

Property owners would be charged $100 per call in excess of the limit. Property owners who fail to pay the fine within 10 days of receiving an invoice from the police department could be charged with a summary criminal offense and fined an additional $25 to $100.

The ordinance would apply to the owners of any property in the borough -- residential, commercial or vacant lot.

7/23/10
Repealed

By a vote of 4-2, members of Ben Avon Council, at Tuesday's meeting, repealed the stolen handgun ordinance that they had adopted last December.

The ordinance, which has undergone much discussion the past two months, required residents to report lost or stolen handguns to the police within 72 hours of their disappearance, or face a large fine and possible jail sentence.

Council member Sue Weiss said that council was "premature in throwing it out." However, council member R.J. White referred to a 2006 Supreme Court and said that the ordinance was not reasonable.

7/23/10
Route 65 ramp closing

The ramp currently being used as the temporary off-ramp from northbound Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard) to the Glenfield Viaduct/Kilbuck Street/I-79 in Glenfield Borough will be closed beginning Friday, July 23, weather permitting.

The ramp closure will occur from 7 a.m. on Friday through Oct. 1. The closure is necessary as crews begin slope repairs.

7/23/10
Row house relief?

Residents of Ben Avon might have a glimmer of hope regarding the row houses on Park Avenue that have been deteriorating for the past couple of years.

In May 2007, property owner Jeff Garbinski told the borough council that he would like to renovate the five buildings containing 19 units, but little has been done since that time despite the borough's repeated requests for progress to be made.

7/23/10
Seminar package

The Northgate School Board voted Monday to purchase a discounted pass that will allow board members to attend seminars at no additional cost.

Although board members noted that there has not been much interest in past years in attending seminars, the $899.10 package will allow them to attend at no additional cost. It was reported that seminars can cost between $100 and $160 per person without the pass.

7/23/10
Street closing

Avalon Council voted unanimously at its July 20 meeting to close California Avenue in front of the borough building on Sept. 18 for an event to benefit the Avalon Public Library.

The library will hold a "Touch a Truck" event in which children can interact with emergency vehicles. It will be held from noon to 4 p.m. The library will sell books and food to raise money.

Council voted to close the street from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Council members Dave Dixon and Vicki Donnelly were absent.

7/16/10
Avalon Police News

Scrap metal and a yard roller were reported stolen from a yard on Cityview Avenue on July 13. The property is valued at $200.

A 20-inch Schwinn bicycle was reported stolen from California Avenue on July 14.

7/16/10
Bellevue seeks skate plaza funds

After receiving positive feedback from Allegheny County, Bellevue will move ahead with a grant application that could produce much of the funding necessary to construct a skate board plaza in Bayne Park.

Council president Kathy Coder and administrative assistant Katie Hale said that the borough had submitted a pre-application for a Community Development Block Grant that sought funding for a $360,000 project in Bayne Park that also included an amphitheater, dog park and boccie court. Hale said that county officials quickly zeroed in on the skate plaza aspect.